It is well known to use foam, a mixture of gas and liquid, in oil and/or gas wells for performing various procedures such as foam fracturing, foam acidizing and foam washing for removing solids, such as sand, scale, etc., from wells.
While performing a procedure that requires a stable foam to be circulated into and out of an oil and/or gas well bore over a long period of time, containing the foam returns at the well surface becomes a problem in the limited tank space that it usually available. The returning foam will occupy about five times as much space as the fluid that is being removed from the tank to produce the foam. However, the foam remains stable with a gas content up to 90 percent and requires a long period of time to dissipate back to the volume of the original liquid. In many locations, such as in offshore rigs, there is not sufficient tank capacity to accommodate the increased volume of foam. This can cause tank overflow and result in pollution.
The present invention is directed to an improved apparatus and method of breaking up or causing disintegration of the cells that form the foam body.